Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • August 6, 2020
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review Digital Articles

It's Okay to Say 'No' to Social Events During COVID

By: Ashley V. Whillans, Annie Wilson and Tobias Schlager
  • Format:Electronic
ShareBar

Abstract

As COVID turns even the most benign of social activities into risky propositions, many of us find ourselves in the uncomfortable position of rejecting our friends’ and family’s invitations to non-socially-distant activities. It can be particularly challenging to explain our COVID-related concerns when saying no to these events, as we may worry about coming across as judgmental or condescending. But new research shows that voicing these concerns can actually improve your relationship with the person inviting you. In addition, by focusing on welfare concerns (health and safety), as opposed to social concerns (fear of offending a friend), we can feel more comfortable turning down invitations—and explaining the reasons why.

Keywords

Difficult Conversations; Psychology; COVID-19; Health Pandemics; Relationships

Citation

Whillans, Ashley V., Annie Wilson, and Tobias Schlager. "It's Okay to Say 'No' to Social Events During COVID." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (August 6, 2020).
  • Find it at Harvard
  • Read Now

About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • July 2022
    • Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

    The Developmental Origins and Behavioral Consequences of Attributions for Inequality

    By: Antonya Marie Gonzalez, Lucia Macchia and Ashley V. Whillans
    • May 2022
    • Lancet Public Health

    Policy Stringency and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Data from 15 Countries

    By: Lara B. Aknin, Bernardo Andretti, Rafael Goldszmidt, John F. Helliwell, Anna Petherick, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daisy Fancourt, Elkhonon Goldberg, Sarah P. Jones, Ozge Karadag, Elie Karam, Richard Layard, Shekhar Saxena, Emily Thornton, Ashley Whillans and Jamil Zaki
    • March 2022 (Revised April 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Innovation at Moog Inc.

    By: Brian J. Hall, Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle and Caroline Witten
More from the Authors
  • The Developmental Origins and Behavioral Consequences of Attributions for Inequality By: Antonya Marie Gonzalez, Lucia Macchia and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Policy Stringency and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Data from 15 Countries By: Lara B. Aknin, Bernardo Andretti, Rafael Goldszmidt, John F. Helliwell, Anna Petherick, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daisy Fancourt, Elkhonon Goldberg, Sarah P. Jones, Ozge Karadag, Elie Karam, Richard Layard, Shekhar Saxena, Emily Thornton, Ashley Whillans and Jamil Zaki
  • Innovation at Moog Inc. By: Brian J. Hall, Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle and Caroline Witten
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College